The Canadian distributor of Mein Kampf will continue to ship copies of Adolf Hitler's political manifesto even though the country's largest book retailer has pulled the publication from its shelves.

"Anyone who wants to stock the book, we will provide it," Denise Anderson, head of marketing and publicity for Thomas Allen & Son Ltd., said in an interview.

Heather Reisman, chief executive of Indigo Books & Music Inc., ordered copies of Mein Kampf pulled from all 91 Indigo and Chapters stores and removed from its online sales division. She said she considered the book hate literature.

"She has the right to decide what to carry in her store," Ms. Anderson said of Indigo's decision. Nevertheless, the book distributor will continue to provide the book to libraries and other retailers that wish to carry it.

One such retailer is Duthie Books, an independent bookstore in Vancouver. The book is currently out of stock at the store, but Duthie's manager said it will return.

"We are keeping the book because people want to learn from their past mistakes," Ria Bleumer said. "We don't want to pretend that nothing ever happened."

Ms. Reisman did not return a telephone call yesterday requesting an interview.

Mein Kampf, whose title means My Struggle and is banned in Germany, was written by Hitler and became the bible for the Third Reich. It was published in two volumes, in 1925 and 1927. The first volume expresses Hitler's racist ideology, with Aryans described as the "genius" race and Jews as the "parasite" race. The second volume deals with the Nazi political program, including terrorist methods.

About 1,500 copies of the controversial 694-page book are sold each year in Canada, at a listed price of $31.95. About 10 times as many copies are bought in the United States.

Proceeds from the book's North American sales go to three unidentified charities, according to a spokeswoman for Houghton Mifflin, Mein Kampf's New York publisher.

On Indigo's Web site, there is a review of Mein Kampf even though it is no longer available for sale.

The anonymous reviewer described Hitler's work is a "dark and evil" document. "Still, it's a necessary document for each generation's understanding of how such a man thought and wrote of his plans directly and proudly."

The review concludes: "In the end, the existence of the book itself offers a caveat and lesson worth heeding. Mein Kampf reminds us that man's capacity to destroy and brutalize others shrouds itself easily in ideology and national pride."

Canadian Jewish groups applauded Ms. Reisman's move, even though they say they did not push for a ban.

"Heather should be commended for taking a personal decision against hate," said Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B'Nai B'rith Canada. "This was her way with dealing with an item that she found hateful in her stores."

He said the move is courageous "because there will be a backlash" from supporters of free speech and opponents of censorship. "But Heather is accustomed to taking strong positions."

Keith Landy, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said he was delighted to hear of Ms. Reisman's decision.

"That is her prerogative, as is the prerogative of any store or commercial enterprise, to stock and sell whatever products they wish."

While Mein Kampf has historical value, he said, "It's also a viciously sadistic book, which had murderous implications for the Jewish people."